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It’s a lawsuit (two, actually) with everything: First Amendment issues, barbecue, racial epithet reappropriation, accusations of micromanaging by the Cuomo administration, and so much more. The latest twist in the tale of the Schenectady-based lunch cart called the Wandering Dago concerns the email account of Bennett Liebman, Cuomo’s recently retired deputy secretary for racing and […] More »

With talk of one pay raise on tap for a possible special legislative session, advocates say legislators can’t give one without another. Community, faith and labor advocates were at the Capitol Tuesday to call on legislators to hike the minimum wage in a pre-2015 session. While the minimum wage discussion isn’t anything new, talk has […] More »

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Good morning – A Missouri grand jury on Monday declined to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. The most credible eyewitnesses said Brown had charged toward Wilson just before the final, fatal shots, the St. Louis County prosecutor said. The decision sparked a chaotic night […] More »

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A report released by the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Monday shows that 9 percent of parolees released in 2010 landed themselves back in prison on a new felony conviction within three years. According to DOCCS, that’s the lowest recidivism rate for that subset of former inmates since 1985. According to the report, […] More »

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A new report from the New York Public Transit Association shows a pressing need for big money investments in transit systems — other than the MTA — across the state The “Five Year Capital Program for Upstate and Downstate Transit” report outlines the need for an additional $1 billion in transit funding over the next […] More »

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Yes, Albany has a pretty nice looking skyline (at least I think so) but it doesn’t come cheap. A ‘Benchmark’ survey from the Empire Center released on Monday shows that the city has the highest property tax rates of any of the five larges cities outside of New York City (Buffalo, Yonkers, Rochester and Syracuse […] More »

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State Gaming Commission Executive Director Robert Williams is suggesting that the Gaming Facility Location Board has held three meetings and may hold its final meeting on Dec. 17. That would be the meeting in which they would issue up to four casino licenses in three regions: Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley/Catskills and Capital Region. Here is […] More »

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday that the state’s new weather detection system will be a more sophisticated network of sensors than what the National Weather Service currently uses in New York. Speaking at a storm briefing in Erie County, Cuomo said the weather detection system, which was announced earlier this year as part of a […] More »

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Here’s this week’s episode of “New York Now,” the award-winning co-production of WMHT and the Times Union. Highlights include: WMHT’s Matt Ryan reviews the week’s headlines, and the state Senate Republicans’ return to Albany for the first time since June. I sit down with former Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch about his new role as an […] More »

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Good morning! As the snow melts in Western New York, communities are bracing for flooding. A flood watch will be in effect through Wednesday morning for the counties of Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee and Wyoming. The National Guard is poised to help, and state agencies are sending pumps, generators, sandbags and other emergency supplies. Dozens of Capital Region […] More »

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A bill signed last week will give New Yorkers a new way to spark celebrations. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed on Friday a bill that will permit the sale and possession of sparklers and novelty devices (think caps for toy guns, snappers, party poppers, etc.) everywhere in the state except New York City. The signing comes […] More »

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I had a story on Friday about a bill that would give guardians of adults who are disabled the right to a hearing if the state is looking to move them from an out-of-state placement to one here in New York. Prospects early on weren’t so good but the governor has ended up signing the […] More »

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If it’s Friday night in fall, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is taking action on legislation. Analysis will follow, but here are the 46 approvals (“chapters”) and 40 vetoes followed by the signing messages for each: Chapter 432 A1787C Millman (MS) — Requires disclosures in advertisements that include a description that the person has expertise or training […] More »

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About Capitol Confidential

Capitol Confidential gathers the best coverage of New York politics and puts it all together. Each section - Capitol, The State Worker, New York on the Potomac, and Voices - represents a unique facet of the political scene. The Capitol section features coverage from the Times Union Capitol bureau. The State Worker is dedicated to state worker issues. New York on the Potomac offers news of interest to New Yorkers from Washington. And Voices features the best of everything else, pointing you to columnists and bloggers from across the Web.